A New Beginning For All
by Kerena13
Summary: Roxas and Axel have just recieved word of terrifying news: they're going to have permanent apprentices! How will Axel hold up against his fiery, tomboyish apprentice Jack? How will Roxas get along with the shy Kerena? Beginning chapters simple fillers
1. Chapter 1

Hello~! ^^

I have a few quick things to clear up:

1) this story was actually something I wrote for my friend. I never really intended to publish it. She kinda convinced me to post it anyways ^^"

2) I own Kerena, and somewhat own Jack. If you want to use them in a story, you MUST hve my permission. Sorry, I'm picky like thats.

3) Just to say, I HAVE played every game in the KH series, so I know the actual pairings and whatnot. But, since Axel is my friend's fave character and Roxas is mine, I've changed the pairings. In this story, the couples are/will be:

Roxas+Kerena

Jack+Axel

*slight* Larxene+Marluxia

Xion+Zexion

sorry, no Namine w/Roxas.

4) this story will have a sequal. I'm currently writing both the rest of this story and the sequal to this one, so please be patient. I DO have school work too, ya know. ^^"

5) no flaming, PLEASE. constructive critisism is welcome, and so are positive comments.

THANK YOU, ENJOY!!!

"Why?! Why do you have the keyblade?!" a silver long-haired boy of sixteen shouted, leaning heavily on his sword while clutching a cut on his side. A black blind fold fell over his eyes, but it seemed as if he could still see.

"Like I know!" A fifteen year old spiky blond retorted with flaming azure eyes, raising his white and indigo key shaped blade to strike the wounded organization member.

A loud snap was heard from an alleyway close by. The younger one, named Roxas, saw a figure dash into the safety of the shadows of one of the many buildings located in The World That Never Was.

"Who's there?!" The silver haired teen called, getting up from his kneeling position on the ground and readying his sword. Nothing was heard, but the two still felt uneasy. Roxas, using a series of signals, directed the older boy, named Riku, to the right side of the alley while he would flank the left.

Steadily and slowly, the pair worked their way to the back of the alley, where they spotted a figure about the size of Roxas crouched on the ground, wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled low, black jeans, black boots, and black leather gloves.

Riku made the mistake of yelling "Stay where you are!," because when the person heard Riku's first syllable, they quickly stood, whipped around to face them, then sprinted down the alleyway in the opposite direction at mach 5 speed. Roxas and Riku quickly cornered the being in another alleyway, but before they had a chance to advance, the figure jumped up and began scaling the side of the building, using the pointed ornamental pieces on the wall as a type of ladder.

However, Riku promptly teleported to the rooftop using the channels of darkness and stood before the person instantly.

Jerking back in surprise, the figure quickly recovered and jumped over to the structure on the opposite side, while Riku followed in close pursuit. Roxas had also traveled through the darkness and suddenly appeared in front of the figure, causing it to skid to a stop about five feet away from each member.

Mumbling unintelligibly, the individual entwined three of their fingers, leaving the pointer finger and thumb pointing towards the heavens. In a few seconds, a silver, straight-edged sword appeared in the person's hand, a design of vines etched meticulously into the gold handle and a similar pattern of ivy forged into the blade itself. They also pulled from a hidden pocket inside their jacket a black gun, average in size but in impressive in its design.

"Okay, so you've got a gun. But you're _STILL_ outnumbered!" Riku exclaimed, dashing forwards, but his assault being blocked but the person's weapon, which gleamed in the bright moonlight that overshadowed The World That Never Was. Roxas tried to throw his key blade into the figure's unarmed side, but the being simply fired one round at it, which in turn made the weapon ricochet back towards its thrower.

Now it was the person's turn to fight back. Quickly, they pushed aside Riku's sword and slashed at Roxas, while firing rapid shots in succession at Riku, causing him to take evasive action. Roxas evaded the blow at the last second, the sword making a small tear on his cloak.

'_If this keeps up_,' Roxas thought, _'we'll lose this battle for sure!'_ He dodged blow after blow, and finally, once the person dropped their guard for a moment, smacked both the gun and the sword out of the figure's hands, disarming his opponent.

The figure, however, barely flinched. They held their hand at their side and instantly…_ a keyblade appeared! _The handle was shaped like a silver star, had a golden blade, and an aqua ribbon was wrapped carefully and elegantly over the blade. A small aqua heart keychain dangled from the silver star, with a small "K" engraved on it in a stylish way.

The figure seemed to smirk, and began to walk towards Roxas, who was still in shock at what he saw. However, Riku, who now had no bullets to dodge (literally), snuck up behind the person and hit them over the head with the flat of his sword, causing the being to collapse on the ground in a heap.

"This guy's tough, but we're better." Riku grinned, slinging the unconscious figure over his shoulder and walking towards a newly created portal of darkness. Roxas quickly followed, wondering who the cloaked person was.

* * *

"So…you have no idea if it's a he or she, but you beat them and brought them here?" Xemnas asked, watching as his two best members of the organization nodded. "Very well. I'm not sure if this person is a Nobody, but even if they aren't this one must have strong powers if they were able to get to this world. We'll take this person and make them an organization member." Looking at number thirteen, he said, "Roxas, I'm leaving them in your care. Teach them about the organization. And help them develop their untapped potential, as well." The leader of the Nobodies dismissed them from his office, also giving Roxas a coat to give to his new apprentice.

The two members said goodbye to each other, and Roxas went on his way to the room where the person had been left.

He knocked loudly on the door, and when no one said anything, he entered the currently bare and white room save for a bed, desk, and a computer. The person was looking through the large window at the night sky while moving their fingers silently on the window sill, as if playing a piano.

"Hey, put this on." Roxas told them, tossing the coat over to the being as they turned around to look at him. The individual pointed to the door, indicating Roxas to leave. He obliged, and in just about a minute, the person came back out, now wearing the coat, with the hood still pulled over their face.

"Can you tell me your name?" Roxas asked, watching as the figure shook their head. "Can you _write _your name for me if you won't talk?" He proceeded to fish from his pockets a small notepad and a pen. The person slowly took them, flipped the book open, and wrote: **Call me by my first initial until I'm sure I can trust you.**

"'K', right?" Roxas questioned, watching as the figure scribbled out another message and nodded.

**Did you happen to find anyone else?**

"As in?"

**If you find anyone, bring them here.**

"Do you mean a friend?"

**Yes.**

"Boy or girl?"

**Girl.**

"Can't you just talk to me like a normal person, or Nobody, or whatever you are?!"

**I'm a person. And, no, I can't talk. I don't trust you yet.**

"What in Nobody's name will make you trust me?!"

**Your name might help.**

"Roxas."

**So far, so good. I still don't trust you.**

Roxas hit himself in the forehead, mumbling curse words. "All right…I'd better introduce you to the other members so they don't attack and seriously harm you." Roxas felt the person's eyes glare at him as they walked down the corridor, and it instantly gave him a cold feeling. Who was this guy, anyways?!

"Hey, little buddy!" Axel shouted, running up to his friend and playfully slapping him on the back. "Who's this?"

"New guy." Roxas answered. "Call him K. He won't give us his full name yet."

"Why is that?"

"Says he doesn't trust us."

Axel grinned over at the figure and waved, earning no other gesture of greeting in return, except for the figure covering what seemed to be its mouth, as if trying to stifle a laugh.

"See! He trusts me!" Axel shouted gleefully as the being doubled over in silent laughter.

"You sure are weird." Roxas chuckled, watching as the person once again took out the notebook and wrote another message: **You remind me of my friend.**

"What's he like?" Axel inquired, intrigued by this bit of information. The figure scrawled his next message: **My friend is a girl.**

Roxas guffawed loudly as Axel's mouth dropped open in astonishment, his green eyes scanning the written words over and over again, until the person wrote another message: **I think she'd like you.**

"Roxas, doesn't he talk?" Axel asked, recovering from the news that he was like the newbie's friend…who was a GIRL.

"Nope. And, seriously, we don't even know if he's a guy or girl." Roxas whispered into his friend's ear.

"Alright. Hey, I'll talk to the others and make sure that they know about the newbie. Save you the trouble." Axel said, walking down the corridor towards various other rooms.

"Seriously, this would be easier if you'd just talk." Roxas complained icily to the person, who merely shrugged and wrote: **Is it possible to go outside?**

"Yeah." Roxas said, pushing open two large glass paneled doors that led to a large balcony. The person instantly went over and looked down at the city below, watching as millions of multi-colored lights lit up the streets. K seemed to look into space as he moved his fingers silently over the marble, again seeming to be playing a piece on a piano. "Why do you always do that?" Roxas asked, pointing at the person's dancing digits.

Once again digging out the notebook, the figure scribbled: **It's an old song that my friend and I used to play all the time. Reminds me of her.**

"Think you could play it? If you were at a piano, I mean." number thirteen questioned, the figure nodding and seeming to like this idea. "C'mon, I know where one is."

Roxas led the way back into the castle, and, through a long series of corridors and passageways, led his apprentice to a white room where there was nothing but instruments. Guitars, pianos, flutes, it was all there.

"Here. I want to know what this song sounds like." Roxas motioned them over to a large, white, grand piano with a long bench. The figure instantly and gratefully sat down and looked over the keys. In barely no time at all, the being's fingers danced gracefully over the keys, composing a sweet melody which made Roxas smile. Once the figure ended, they once again reached for the pad and wrote: **It sounds better when my friend plays. She's better than I am.**

A loud bell was heard, causing the figure to fall backwards out of shock and onto the floor below with a thud. Roxas laughed gaily and informed them that it was only the late bell, sounding for everyone to go to bed.

* * *

Roxas woke up early and trekked to his apprentice's room, shocked to find no one there when he opened the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"How-?!" Roxas stuttered, the figure giving him a small wave and tapping their head in a knowing manner. "Never mind. We have to go to breakfast. You're lucky, because currently there are no missions that we need to go on. And our only current absent members, Xion and Lexaeus, have been tasked with taking care of all the heartless around, so we don't have anything to do, really." Roxas stated, dashing through halls with the figure trailing close behind.

The two reached the large dining area, which seemed more like a common room than an evil lair. All the organization members were chatting and arguing with one another about trivial matters, and all offered a warm greeting towards Roxas and his friend.

"What's up, Roxas? Who's the friend?" Larxene asked, smirking at one of the youngest organization members.

"His name is K, or at least that's what his name starts with." Roxas informed her, taking his seat next to Axel and the figure sliding into a seat next to him.

"Hi!" a grinning blond with a mullet said cheerfully, waving wildly at the cloaked figure. "I'm Demyx! Do you like music?"

"That's Demyx. He's a little…different." Roxas informed his apprentice, Demyx still blabbering on about how much he loved to sing and play what he called a "sitar". K nodded in agreement, watching in amazement of how long this being could talk. K then got up, without eating a bite, and left the room, leaving Roxas and all the other organization members dumbfounded.

"Doesn't that guy eat?" Larxene asked incredulously, her own plate stacked with a mountain of pancakes and waffles, which she eagerly stuffed into her mouth.

"I seriously don't know. He's really strange." Roxas commented, noticing that Riku wasn't present.

The cheery atmosphere was shattered as Riku strode into the room, gripping a hooded, struggling figure firmly by the arm. This being was clad in the same garb that K had been wearing earlier, but this person was a few inches shorter. "Found another one!" He announced grimly, sending a scathing glare at the person, who now stood silently.

"Another, really?" Xemnas asked, crossing his arms. "Roxas, go get your apprentice. Maybe they know this person." Roxas nodded quickly and dashed out of the room, appearing in under a minute with K at his side. K stopped in his tracks and seemed to stare at the being, the person doing the same.

"Hasn't told me anything. This one won't say a word, much less give a name." Riku reported, shoving the stunned figure forward.

"J-J?" K stammered, earning a shocked look from Roxas and the others. It was very apparent, from K's voice, that the person they had thought was a guy was in reality, a teenage girl!

"K! It's you!" the figure named J replied happily, throwing their arms around K in a warm embrace. It was very obvious that the two knew each other, and were both females. While K's voice was soft and more feminine, J had a slightly tomboyish voice, making her seem rougher than her taller comrade.

"Another member for the organization…splendid!" Xemnas cackled, snapping his fingers. J was instantly clothed in the organization cloak, the trademark of the group. "Axel, I think I'll give this one to you. From the recent reports, it seems as if you could use some practice when it comes to basically everything. A refresher couldn't hurt." He gave both Roxas and Axel a piercing look and finished with, "I suggest you start their training immediately, gentleman." The two nodded sheepishly, and dragged their apprentices outside.

* * *

"Why did _I _have to have an apprentice?!" Axel grumbled, shuffling along with his arms crossed. J and K were a couple feet behind, walking side by side and whispering to each other.

"Well, I think Xemnas wanted something _else_ to occupy your time, instead of the practical jokes you're always playing on Marluxia, Vexen, and Zexion all the time." Roxas answered, him walking alongside of Axel. "So, what are we going to do, anyway?"

"How about we teach them to fight?" Axel suggested, stealing a glance at the two females.

"Teach _us?_ How to _fight?_ I don't think so." J said in a mocking and superior tone, crossing her arms. K nudged J roughly in the side while whispering "Shut up!"

"Well, if you're so confident, why don't you try your luck?" Axel challenged, already facing J with red chakrams in hand.

"Don't mind if I do, hothead!" J retorted, but when she tried to take a step forward, K held fast onto her arms, preventing any further movement. "Let go!"

K shook her head. "If you fight him, you're going to get hurt, and I'm NOT in the mood to play nurse!"

"I don't care!" J growled, struggling wildly. Her actions, however, were futile. K had too good a grip, and the obvious height difference played a big part as well.

"Well, don't blame me if you get killed." K sighed, slowly releasing her friend, who seemed to be extremely pleased. "Wait for me to get out of range." K requested, running towards an alleyway a few feet away and ducking behind the wall.

"Get out of range…?" Axel questioned, the fury in his eyes dying somewhat and being replaced by confusion.

"You're name is Roxas, right? Well, I'd go join K over there, so you won't get caught up in this fight." warned J, pointing to her comrade. Roxas, not wanting to accidentally be hit during the fray, ran over to K and peeked out from behind the wall, both members transfixed by the seemingly rabid fighters. J closed her hands, but left her pointer and middle fingers out, the two digits straight and together. She placed her left hand to where her fingers were even to where her nose should be, and placed her other hand below her left.

"Get ready." J stated in a cool tone, sending shivers down Axel's spine. A five foot scythe materialized in her hands, sturdy and elegant. The long, straight handle was a metallic blue with real ivy entwined around it, and the two foot emerald blade on the end was sharpened to a fine point, looking deadly.

J and Axel charged at each other and gave blow after blow, dodged strike after strike, and impressed the two viewers of the match. The battle dragged on for about ten minutes, and Axel was clearly worn out. J, seeing his exhaustion, tripped him easily with the handle of her blade and held the weapon in front of his face, saying in a mocking and happy tone, "I win!"

"Wow…" Roxas breathed, amazed that J beat Axel so easily.

"Nice job, J!" K congratulated, high-fiving her comrade. "I was hoping that your anger would encourage you to win!"

"Hey, Roxas, how well does _your_ apprentice fight?" Axel asked, standing up slowly and dusting off his coat. "I'd like to see!"

"I guess a match couldn't hurt." Roxas admitted, summoning his two keyblades. "C'mon, Axel is not going to leave us alone until he sees how you fight. Take out your weapon." he urged K.

"I hate you…" K growled at Axel, summoning her sword and taking a half-hearted swipe at him, which the redhead quickly dodged. Sighing, she brandished her weapon in front of her in a type of fighting stance.

Roxas dashed forwards, but K was faster. She jumped out of the way and knocked his oblivion keyblade from his hand, and then sprung over to the weapon and picked it up. Roxas tried to hit her once more, but that weapon too was separated from his hand. He had no choice but to surrender now, as K pointed the tip of her sword at him.

"K! You won!" J squealed, once the other two's weapons had disappeared. "But why did you just disarm him? I know you could have done more than that!"

"Why? What would the point have been?" K asked, shrugging her shoulders.

The foursome then went back to the castle, as it was now very late.

* * *

"Why again do we have to go by the letter of our first names?" J grumbled, flopping grudgingly onto the extra bed which was placed in the room.

"So if they ever decide to hurt us, they won't know exactly who to look for. That's why we have to wear our hoods as well." K sighed, stepping over to the window and playing her piano piece silently.

"I really want to hear that song again…" murmured J, placing her hands behind her head and looking up at the blank ceiling.

"Hey! Roxas showed me a music hall! I can play it for you there!" K exclaimed eagerly, J jumping up in enthusiasm and following the taller girl to the large music room.

"Want to play it with me?" K asked, pointing to a guitar.

"You know I can't play as well as you! I only have the fighting skills, remember? You have the musical, theater, and social talent!" J laughed, leaning on the piano that K sat down at.

"Not true! You play better than I do!" K insisted, beginning the song. She played the piece about a minute, then, while she still played, questioned, "Want to at least _sing _to it?"

"Again, I'd rather just hear you do all of it." J said lazily, resting her head in her hands. K sighed and obliged to her request, and sang the words to the melody in a clear, sweet voice.

As the girls bided their time, Axel and Roxas walked wearily to their rooms.

"Seriously, If we were really going at each other, I think she'd kill me." Axel grimaced, holding his head as if he had a headache.

"I think K might, too." Roxas agreed, "J did say that she could do more."

"Wait, do you hear that?" Axel asked suddenly, cupping a hand around his ear. Sure enough, the boys heard K singing. "Think it's them?"

"One way to find out!" Roxas declared, dashing to the music hall with Axel at his side. The two quietly pushed the door open a tad to see K playing her song on the large piano, while J leaned lazily on the instrument, listening as if in a trance. The song soon ended, and both boys immediately wished she would start up again.

"K, can't I call you by your real name now? And can we take off these accursed hoods? They're driving me _crazy!_" J declared. "Pretty please?"

"Argh…maybe the names, but not the hoods!…Jack." K finished, earning a big hug from Jack.

"Oh, Kerena, you're the bestest!" Jack giggled, giving her an extra big squeeze.

"Why do I cave in so easily? I need to stop being so nice…" Kerena mumbled, smacking herself in the head.

The two boys would have gone unnoticed if Roxas hadn't sneezed. The sudden noise made the girls jump up in alarm and pull out black guns, which they pointed at the door.

"Who do you think it is, K?" Jack asked in a strong voice.

"Don't even bother with the letters, Jack. They know our names. Come one out, you two. Axel. Roxas." Kerena stated in a firm voice, the two boys entering the room with pink faces.

"We're sorry, we really are…" Axel stuttered, placing a hand behind his head. "We kind of got curious about the singing we heard."

"Another thing I messed up on…" Kerena mumbled, putting her gun away, "First I let you know our names, and now you heard me singing. I swear, I don't know how this day could get any worse…"

"Kerena! Who cares if they heard you singing?! You have a nice voice, and people _should _hear it!" Jack insisted, placing her hands on her hips.

"But, seriously, why are you guys so wary of us?! We're not going to hurt you or anything!" Roxas insisted, causing the girls to look at each other in a sarcastic glance.

"Well, if you were us, wouldn't you be wondering who was your friend or foe?" Kerena pointed out. "Here we are, in this weird place. I was knocked out by your _charming _friend, and Jack here was captured like a prisoner. How do you think that makes us feel?"

"Anyway, we're sorry, ok? We're really not _bad,_ you know. But, seriously, can you take your hoods off? It's really distracting, because I keep wondering what you two look like." Axel stated. The girls looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Think they're OK, Jack?" Kerena asked, earning a nod from her friend.

"I insist on being first, since I can't take this much longer!" Jack demanded, throwing back her hood.

Jack's copper hair was in a shoulder-length ponytail, and one long bang covered her right eye. The visible eye was bright green, and light freckles dotted her heart-shaped face. She was undeniably thin, and had slightly tanned skin. "There. That's better!" Jack confessed, running a hand through her straight locks. "Now you, Kerena."

Sighing, the girl slowly lowered her own hood and allowed the trio to see her features. Large, expressive aqua eyes looked unwavering at the boys, and pink coral lips were in a tight line across her thin, fair-skinned, round face. Golden tresses fell in a slight wave all the way down her back. Her cheeks had a light pink tinge to them, and Oathkeeper earrings dangled silently from her ears, plus a matching necklace that clung to her neck.

"There. Is everyone happy now?" Kerena asked in a exasperated tone. "I still don't trust you guys completely. I swear, if you do anything to hurt us intentionally, I'll kick both of your butts." She barged through the men, with Jack quickly following. The brown haired girl, however, stopped to wave good-bye before being tugged out of the room by Kerena, whose hand shot out of nowhere. The boys looked at each other in bewilderment and worry, knowing that Kerena could very well follow through with her threat.

* * *

"So…what's with the new attitude?" Jack asked, sitting once again on her bed and looking quizzically at Kerena, who was laying down on her own twin-sized bed.

"What? I told you I can be tough." Kerena stated with a grin, making her friend chuckle.

"You? Be tough? _Never._ I seriously thought I was going to die laughing when you gave those two that look."

"Just wanted to give them a scare. Actually, they seem surprisingly nice." Kerena mused. "Even if they aren't the smartest things on the planet."

"I agree." Jack consented, nodding her head vigorously. "No one, and I mean _no one, _has ever stood still long enough for me to trip him. If he was becoming exhausted, he should have fought until he had to surrender, not wait for me to strike him down!"

"That other guy, Roxas? I've fought him twice. The first time, he was so shocked to see my keyblade that he just _stood_ there! And today, he was being stupid! _Never_ go for a complete frontal assault in the beginning! When it comes to fighting, I think _we _should be the ones training _them,_ not the other way around!" Kerena declared, earning a large smile from Jack and a small clap.

"Well said, well said!" Jack commended, putting on a fake British accent, which in turn made Kerena go into hysterics.

* * *

"Wake up, Axel! Time for another _glorious _day with our apprentices!" Roxas shouted, opening up the curtains to let bright sunlight enter the room. Axel groaned and flopped his pillow over his head and mumbled something. While Roxas was already dressed in his organization apparel, Axel was still in his nightclothes, which consisted of a white t-shirt and black shorts that reached his knees.

"C'mon, Axel! I said, RISE AND SHINE!" Roxas took hold of the redhead's sheets and pulled, leaving Axel with his butt stuck up in the air and his head still covered by the fluffy, marshmallow-like item. "Get on your cloak!" Roxas threw the sixteen year-old his black outfit, which was instantly discarded among the other t-shirts and shorts that were frequently found by the hot-tempered male's bed.

"Why? If it's such a glorious day, why can't we actually enjoy it instead of spending our time with _those _two?" Axel yawned, stretching and getting up from where he'd rather be. "Where's my cloak again?" In reply, Roxas threw the coat into his comrade's face, and was rewarded with Axel saying in a slightly muffled voice, "Thanks."

The pair finally got out of their room, making slow progress to the females' abode. Once reaching the dreaded destination, Axel knocked timidly on the door, then backed up all the way to the other side of the hall.

Roxas gave him a look while the redhead only mouthed "extra precautions."

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Kerena shouted through a megaphone into Jack's ear, yet having no effect on the sleeping girl. "Geez. How in the world can someone sleep so soundly?!" Kerena muttered, deep in thought. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"Roxas and Axel." came the younger boy's voice. Kerena dashed to the door and pulled both of them inside, then quickly shut the door.

"Good. Now _you _can wake her up!" Kerena declared, crossing her arms and smirking in satisfaction as the boys blinked in surprise.

"Why can't you?" Axel asked, rolling his eyes.

"Well, make sure you cover your ears so I can try…AGAIN." Kerena sighed, walking up to her friend and once again bellowing in the megaphone. "I SAID WAKE UP, YOU LAZY PERSON!" The boys clamped their hands over their ears and stared in surprise as Jack didn't even flinch. "See what I mean? Now YOU have to try!" Kerena stated exasperatedly, shoving the projecting object in Axel's hands.

"Why me?!" Axel cried, trying to give it back.

"She's YOUR apprentice, that's why!" Kerena answered, putting both hands on her hips. "Now try already!"

Axel literally started shaking as he began talking. "Hey, you, wake up!" He whispered, using the megaphone to poke her shoulder.

"Ugh…leave me alone…" Jack mumbled, turning away from the desperate trio.

"Already she's back into her old habits…" Kerena muttered, holding her head in frustration. "All right…any ideas?"

"Axel could shoot a fireball at her." Roxas suggested, earning a scared look from Axel and a smile from Kerena.

"Hey, that could work! Try it!" Kerena urged the trembling sixteen year-old, who shook his head. "You've got to!"

"A…alright…" Axel gulped, aiming carefully. He shot the small flame at her back, which caused the once peacefully sleeping girl to sit upright and calmly start dousing the small fire. Axel was now trembling in the corner, worried that Jack would decide to kill him.

"Hmm? Oh, good morning, Kerena. What's wrong with him?" Jack asked, looking at Axel.

"Oh, nothing." Kerena smiled. "Time for you to wait for us!" Kerena announced, grabbing both boys by their collars and pushing them gently out the door.

"So redhead woke me up?" Jack asked, stifling a yawn as she put on her cloak.

"Yeah. I tried shouting in your ear with a megaphone, but it didn't work." Kerena answered, watching as Jack brushed her hair.

"Y'know, I started thinking about those guys last night. Now that I kinda think about it, I think that guy…Axel?…is sorta cute!" Jack whispered, earning a big hug from Kerena. "What's that for?"

"I didn't even know you had the word 'cute' in your vocabulary!" Kerena giggled, tightening her friend's ponytail.

"Hardee-har har, very funny." Jack droned, adding an eye roll. "Wonder what they're going to make us do today?"

* * *

"Why are we even bothering to practice fighting with them?" Roxas huffed, covered in scratches and nicks.

"Because we can't think of anything else." Axel groaned, looking worse than Roxas due to the large black-eye which was forming on the left side of his face. "Though I wish we would, because I think Jack is out to kill me!"

"Well, I have to admit that the left hook she threw looked like it _really _hurt." Roxas sighed, watching as the two girls stood grinning at the boys.

"Think we went too hard on them Kerena?" Jack wondered, placing her left hand on her hip.

"Yeah. I mean, look at what you did to Axel's eye!" Kerena frowned. "I think you went a little overboard."

Jack merely shrugged and answered "You went too soft on your opponent, girl. I mean, he hasn't even drawn blood!"

"We're not TRYING to hurt them, you idiot! We are TRYING to get in a few hours of practice, not maim the two!" Kerena shot back, pretending to hit Jack upside the head.

"Why don't you two practice while we take a little recovery period?" Axel suggested groggily, now holding a cold pack on his eye.

"What do you say, Kerena? Up for a little sparring, just like the good ol' days?" Jack asked, nudging her friend playfully.

"Weapons, hand to hand, or magic, my friend?" Kerena grinned, placing her hands upon her hips.

"Hand to hand, I think. I could use a little practice."

"We'll need a referee. Roxas, you up for it?" Kerena called, looking at the blond. He nodded, and instantly stood up at the makeshift ring which would serve as their arena.

"Clean fighting. No killing. No hitting or killing the referee. START!" Roxas cried out, jumping out of the circle barely in time as the girls started throwing a barrage of punches at one another.

"Well, this is entertaining." Axel said sarcastically, holding a box of popcorn which he had made teleport into the room. "Wonder who will win?"

Kerena blocked an oncoming punch and retaliated with a round house kick. Jack dodged and threw another blow, which was batted away.

"Gonna give up yet, Jack?" Kerena smirked, throwing a kick and it barely grazing its target.

"Not on your life, sister!" Jack grinned, a punch that she threw making slight contact with Kerena's arm.

The battle raged on and on, and to the boys the match seemed to continue forever. In reality, the girls fought for about twenty minutes, then had to call a draw due to both girls becoming exhausted.

"Nice moves." Jack complimented, shaking hands with her friend.

"You too." Kerena praised as well, giving her comrade a small smile. "But seriously, I think that was a good workout."

"Agreed." Jack panted slightly, walking over to the wall which supported both boys and sliding down in unison with Kerena.

"Nice match." Axel gurgled, his mouth stuffed with popcorn. Bits of it flew out of his mouth and close to the two girls.

"Chew with your mouth closed." Kerena said disgustedly, covering her mouth in an effort to stop from hurling.

"What's wrong with her?" Axel asked, spraying popcorn all over the floor. He looked over at Kerena with curious and shining eyes, getting a truly horrid idea.

"Don't EVEN Axel." Roxas warned, reading his friend's face. He knew the evil glare Axel would get in his eyes before he pulled a prank. "I know what you're thinking. Do you really want to clean up MORE than you already have to?"

"Aw, darnit, Roxas. You ruin all my fun!" Axel pouted, causing Jack to look on with amusement and Kerena to repeatedly hit her head, mumbling "I'm surrounded by idiots…"

"I hope you don't mean ME, dear friend." Jack stated in fake and mocking innocence, placing a hand on her chest as if she'd been hurt.

"Hey, you're the one who gave him the black eye, not me!" Kerena retorted, pointing at Axel, whose eye was no better than it had been earlier.

"Yeah, so STOP BEATING ME UP!!!" Axel nearly shouted, pointing his finger at Jack, who was giving him a large puppy dog eye look filled with innocence. "That won't work on me." He finished, rolling his eyes to look at Roxas. Actually, in truth, it did work, and nearly made fiery Axel melt. Jack went into pouting, while Kerena was looking at Axel in a thoughtful manner.

"So, does it still hurt?" she asked, sending a scathing glare at her colleague, who didn't pay attention.

"Yeah." Axel grumbled, going into sulk mode. Roxas laughed at his friend's reaction, and his laughter soon proved contagious, causing Kerena and Jack to join in the hysterics as well.

* * *

"Why again did you try and kill Axel?" Kerena asked incredulously, gaping at Jack who lounged on her bed.

"Because I wanted to test him. He needs LOTS of improvement, and if we're going to help them fight, we need to know what those two can and can't do."

"What if you REALLY killed him?! They could have decided to kill US! Think BEFORE you act!!!" Kerena screamed, causing the copper-haired girl to cringe.

"Okay, okay. But seriously, you went too easy on…what's his name again?"

"Roxas. And we are NOT going to test people by nearly killing them! That would be like murdering someone!"

"No, it wouldn't!" Jack defended herself defiantly, crossing her arms.

"Yes, it would! You _intended_ to kill him, and we both know you could have! If you wouldn't have stopped when you did…!" Kerena trailed off, giving a fiery glare to her friend.

"All right, all right! No more testing them unless they agree, I promise!" Jack sighed, crossing her heart and eyes. "This feels weird…"

Suddenly, Axel barged into the room with an angry look. "You did this to me! Now FIX IT!!!" He growled at Jack, the female calmly looking at the redhead.

"I can't." She stated simply.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T?!" Axel cried out, moving towards Jack with a purely horrid look in his eye.

"Don't look at me. I can't do magic. If you want to get fixed, go to her. She's the nurse around here." Jack breezily told him, turning to face the wall and gesturing over to Kerena.

"FIX-" Axel began, but was cut off due to Kerena twisting his arm behind his back.

"Calm down, or I'll break things instead of fixing them!" Kerena threatened, the redhead nodding and becoming silent. "Good. Now, sit down." The teen complied, visibly shaking as he took a seat on the desk chair. "Finally, a little cooperation…"

Kerena took from underneath her bed a water pail, filled to the brim. She told him to dab his eye with a cloth that was in the bucket while she did some quick magic. Uttering odd words, Kerena's hands glowed blue and shimmered. "All right. Hold still." She warned, striking her hands together as if one were a match and the other a matchbox. The wound glowed a silvery color, and the bruise began to disappear. In a few seconds, the injury was completely healed, and Axel did a whoop for joy.

"Thanks! Now I'm back to my handsome self again!" Axel bubbled happily, skipping out the door.

"Now I've seen it all…" Kerena mumbled, putting everything back into place.

* * *

"Keep your guard up! Your whole left side is open!" Jack called, watching as Axel nodded in recognition and continued his practice with Roxas. The two were being coached by Jack, who would make suggestions and give feedback on how they were doing. Kerena was watching the match from the sidelines, holding the notepad that Roxas had given her and seeming to sketch something.

"Roxas! Stop with the frontal assaults! Never attack head on until the enemy is weaker!" Jack shouted to be heard over the clanging of the weapons.

"All right, all right!" Roxas cried out in exasperation, jumping out of the way of an attack.

"If it was all right, I wouldn't be saying anything!" Jack replied, looking over at Kerena who had seemed to finish her sketch. "All right, ten minute break. Get your stamina back up." Jack called, the boys instantly releasing their weapons and falling on the floor in fatigue.

"Maybe you're working them too hard, Jack." Kerena said, sauntering over to her friend and still holding the notebook.

"Well, they NEED a lot of work." Jack countered, crossing her arms and sighing. "Who trained them, anyways?"

"Ask them." Kerena suggested, gesticulating at the boys.

"Good idea. Hey, Axel, Roxas, who trained you guys?"

"Axel trained me." Roxas replied groggily, standing up and walking slowly over to the girls.

"I never had any training." Axel said wearily, closing his eyes and seeming to fall asleep.

"NO SLEEPING!" Jack yelled, but having no effect on the redhead. "Argh…why again am I training under him?!"

Kerena bit her lip in an effort to keep from giggling, and Roxas seemed amused as well.

"Well, I hate to ask, but why are you two friends?" Roxas questioned, looking at Kerena. "You're complete opposites."

"Meaning?" the blond haired girl replied, arching her eyebrow in a slightly irritated yet entertained way. She had no idea that Roxas was actually beginning to tolerate her, due to her seemingly gentle demeanor.

"It's just that you're really calm, and Jack is…" He trailed off, trying to think of a correct way to describe the other female, who was now trying to poke the redhead awake, but to no avail.

"Outspoken? Crazy? Different?" Kerena laughed, Roxas nodding his head in agreement. "Ever hear the saying 'opposites attract'? Well, maybe it's like that with us. Jack is actually really sweet if you get to know her. As long as you're on her _good _side, unlike Axel over there."

The two looked over and saw that Axel was now awake and was being bonked on the head by Jack's fist.

"You're joking, right?" Roxas grinned, thinking it impossible to get on the girl's good side.

"Nope, I'm serious. You don't see her attacking me, do you?" Kerena questioned, smiling in satisfaction as Roxas slowly shook his head no.

"Ow! Ow! Stop it! OW! OW!" Axel screeched over and over again, his protests not stopping Jack from hitting him in the head repeatedly. All the redhead could do was hold his hands over his head in an effort to shield himself, and this didn't help much.

"Why does she pick on Axel, anyways?" Roxas wondered aloud, his question being answered with a small giggle from Kerena.

"I think she just wants to show how much better at fighting she is than him. She used to do it to other guys ALL the time!"

"Hey, you four!" Marluxia called, striding into the room while holding a pink rose daintily, "You've been assigned to stop a few heartless in the area. Apparently, Xemnas wants to test your apprentices." He turned to Axel, who was still being tormented. "Hm, wonder how this will turn out." He waltzed back out through the door, leaving a trail of pink carnation petals behind him.

"All right. Can you PLEASE get Jack off of Axel?!" Roxas sighed, Kerena nodding in reply and jogging over to her friend. Kerena grabbed her friend under her arms, exactly as she had to prevent the girl from going up against Axel, and pulled her away, while Jack struggled and tried to break free from Kerena's grip.

"Come on, we have Heartless to get! Aren't they MORE fun to destroy than Axel?" Kerena asked, Jack giving her a look.

"Did you say _Heartless_?" Jack asked with wide and glittering eyes. Earning a confirmation nod from Kerena, Jack was released and allowed to run to the door. "Come on! There are HEARTLESS to obliterate!" Jack cried enthusiastically, Axel seeming to copy her mood and running out through the door with Jack at his heels.

"I _really _don't see what she finds so appealing about demolishing things." Kerena mumbled while crossing her arms.

"I know what you mean." Roxas agreed, creating a portal to the outside of the headquarters. "We can get there faster this way."

Roxas stepped through and Kerena hesitantly followed, the air around the shortcut heavy and dark.

* * *

"There goes my gun…" Kerena grumbled, watching as a heartless snatched it from her hands and devoured it whole. She sliced through a few more of the creatures with her sword and backed up, suddenly finding herself back to back with Roxas.

"All right, any ideas?" She asked hopefully, the two becoming encircled by hundreds of Heartless.

"Just one, so duck!" Roxas exclaimed, throwing his Oblivion keyblade in front of him and his Oathkeeper one behind him, which sailed over Kerena's lowered head. The weapons acted like boomerangs, taking out many Heartless, but suddenly disappeared. "All right, I got nothing…"

"Here, take this!" Kerena shouted, giving him her own keyblade and hacking at a small Shadow who was trying to crawl up her leg. "Use it, come on!" she cried out, beginning to be overcome by the mass of heartless beings.

Roxas wasted no time and began attacking with the new weapon, surprised at its power and light weight.

Axel and Jack were about twenty yards away, seeming to be having great fun.

"Burn, baby, BURN!" Axel shouted with glee, throwing his chakrams. They spun into the sea of creatures in a streak of fire and ricocheted back into his hands.

Jack had summoned her scythe and was twirling it in front of her, creating a large wheel of destruction. However, a large Shadow crawled behind her and sunk its small claws into her leg, leaving minute punctures. She growled in anger and in an instant it fell, a victim of her anger and oversized scythe.

The two were then surrounded and were drawn back to back, just as Kerena and Roxas had been earlier. Jack's scythe was in two, due to the relentless scratching and biting of the Heartless. She now was holding a keyblade that had a round, black handle with green ivy wrapped around it, a zigzagging pattern of red and black on the blade. A small red skull and crossbones charm with a J engraved on it grinned sadistically at the Heartless.

"All right, now I'm mad." Jack hissed, gritting her teeth in an effort to control her temper. Axel merely smirked. They both ran forwards, hacking, slashing, and seriously maiming any creatures who crossed their paths.

Roxas and Kerena had finished their half of the Heartless and were now leaning against a wall, trying to regain stamina. Roxas had a long cut on his right cheek and Kerena had a lengthy gash on her left forearm, which she was trying her best to deal with and treat.

"I…I think we should…go now." Roxas panted, Kerena nodding vigorously and looking at the other two.

"What about them? Shouldn't we tell them something?" Kerena questioned, grimacing slightly.

"No. Those two know that we wouldn't go down without a fight." Roxas replied with urgency. "If those Heartless over there knew we were here, we would have to fight more, and I don't think either of us are up for that." He created a portal, grabbed Kerena's wrist, and ran through just as a few of the little monsters started snaking towards them.

"Back OFF you little bug-eyed freaks!" Jack cried out with rage. The Heartless had scratched her leg, cut a part off of her bang, and had succeeded in signing their death warrants all under five minutes. Jack's bang barely covered her right eye now, so the Heartless got the full force of her death-glare, which actually made some of the creatures keel over from fright.

"Hey, watch where you poke that thing!" Axel yelled in annoyance as Jack whipped her keyblade around and grazed one of the spikes in his hair.

"Sorry- Whoa!" Jack was cut off by a few monsters banding together and pulling forcefully on her leg, which in turn caused her to trip and be knocked forcefully into one of the buildings. She heard a snap as her left leg took most of the impact and broke, leaving her disabled and unable to fight.

Luckily, Axel had succeeded in driving back the rest of the Heartless, and the few that were left retreated, wanting to save their minuscule lives.

"Ha! Take that, you little whatchamacallits!" Axel shouted in satisfaction, allowing his chakrams to disappear. He then turned to look at Jack, who was leaning heavily on the wall and trying her best to keep her left leg elevated. Her keyblade had vanished when she had wounded herself, so she now stood silently with a scowl on her face.

"Stupid monster things!" Jack mumbled, trying to take a step forwards and grimacing from the intense pain that followed.

"Um, I may not be a doctor, but I think you broke your leg." Axel pointed out, watching Jack slowly hop on her right leg while holding onto the wall.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious." Jack said dryly, earning a sly grin from Axel. She nearly smiled herself, but was reminded soon of the throbbing in her limb.

"Here, let me help you." Axel offered, dropping his grin and replacing it with what looked like true concern. Jack looked taken aback, but instantly tried to take his aid. They tried to have Jack lean heavily on Axel, but the one foot height difference proved to be a big issue.

"All right, what now?" Jack groaned, having fallen on the ground due to Axel straightening up suddenly and knocking her fingers from his cloak.

Axel sighed as one last option came to his mind. "I really hoped that I wouldn't have to do this…EVER…" He kneeled down next to Jack and picked her up, bridal style. Jack's face showed that she really wanted to hit him, but that she was also very glad for the assistance. "Don't you hit me, or else I'll drop you and let you find your way back to the castle ON YOUR OWN!" Axel warned, seeing only the part of Jack that really wanted to punch him.

* * *

"Ow…darn Heartless!" Kerena cursed quietly, wrapping her arm with a bandage. She and Roxas were sitting in a large common area, complete with sofas, chairs, beanbags, a Wii, a few other game systems, and a large flat screen TV which took up half of the twenty foot wall.

"No kidding…" Roxas huffed, holding a wet cloth onto his cut. It was deeper than it looked, and it seemed like it was going to leave a scar. "But you got beat up more than I did."

"Just a scratch. How's your cut?"

"Fine, just wish that it would stop stinging." Roxas winced as he moved the towel slightly, causing Kerena to cringe a bit.

"Here, let me take a look at it." Kerena sighed, having finished binding her arm. She stood up and sat next to Roxas on the arm of his chair, which set her almost on top of him. Gently she pushed aside the cloth and looked the cut over. "Hmm…looks like you've got a few splinters in there."

"What?!" Roxas cried out, while Kerena flinched a tad.

"Don't be so surprised. These should be easy to take out, as long as you don't jerk around." She pulled from her pocket a pair of silver tweezers and asked "Do you want me to take them out, or do you want to try?"

"Just get them out. You can see them, I can't."

Kerena obliged, and in a few seconds she had pulled a few slivers of wood about half an inch long out of the blonde's cheek. She made a slightly disgusted face as she threw them away. "Good thing they didn't go in any further, or you might have gotten an infection."

Roxas paled slightly, and Kerena placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled. "It's okay, Roxas. You're fine. We just need to treat the wound a little more." She took off her right glove to reveal a slender, thin fingered, and graceful hand which had nails in perfect condition and painted an aqua color. She gently touched the wound with her pointer finger, causing the injury to glow a pale blue and Roxas to turn slightly pink. In a few seconds, all signs of Roxas's cut were gone.

"What did you do?" Roxas asked in wonder, feeling for his wound and finding no trace of it. Kerena glanced over at him while she put back on her glove.

"Magic." Kerena grinned, tapping her head in a knowing manner and winking. Suddenly, Axel came into the room while holding Jack in his arms. Everyone froze when they saw each other.

"Um…wounded warrior?" Axel grinned sheepishly, dumping Jack on a chair. Kerena and Roxas couldn't believe their eyes, and were trying hard not to laugh.

"It was his idea, not mine!" Jack declared, pointing an accusing finger at Axel.

The two blondes couldn't withhold any more hysterics. The floodgates opened, and both burst into loud, harmonious laughter which made both of them cry. Roxas fell off of his chair and rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach in an effort to stop his chuckling.

"Um, hello?! Broken leg here?!" Jack called, waving her arms to grab Kerena's attention. Kerena, along with Roxas, soon recovered and was able to heal Jack's leg, though some of the swelling stayed.

"What the hell did you do to it, anyway?! This thing is smashed in places that are nearly impossible to break!" Kerena snapped, frowning at the other girl's limb. Kerena had removed Jack's boot to have a closer inspection, and the boys could make out an ankle bracelet with a silver moon charm on it which glinted in the light of the room.

"Um…I hit a wall…" Jack admitted embarrassedly, twiddling her fingers.

"You…hit…a WALL?!" Kerena shouted, looking at her friend as if she were crazy. "I'm worrying about you because you HIT A WALL?!"

"Well, yeah! Those stupid Shadows! They slammed me into a wall at a weird angle and my leg took the blow instead of my body!" Jack explained with a lot of wide gestures, causing Kerena to shake her head exasperatedly.

"I'd thank Axel if I were you, Jack. Knowing what you've been putting him though, he had good reasons to leave you out there." Kerena commented, wrapping Jack's leg tightly.

"Thanks, Axel." Jack said dismissively, earning an aggravated look from Kerena. "What?"

"Thank him like you MEAN it, or next time you hurt yourself I'll let you heal naturally!"

"All right, all right." Jack sighed. She looked at Axel and said in a sincerely grateful voice, "Thanks for carrying me, Axel. Don't know how I would have come back without you." Jack once again looked at Kerena, earning a nod of approval and sighing in relief.

"All right, any more wounds to take care of?" Kerena questioned, the trio shaking their heads in unison. "Good. Now this has been a drain on me. I'm going to relax a bit."

Kerena then sashayed out of the room, while Jack called after her good-naturedly, "You're such a diva!"

Kerena quickly popped her head back in the room and replied with a wry grin, "What's wrong with that?", then disappeared from sight before Jack had a chance to reply.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Kerena asked Jack worriedly, sitting lightly on Jack's bed and taking a hold of the lounging girl's hand.

"Oh, terrific. No one could tell that yesterday I had my leg broken, part of my hair ripped to shreds, that Axel carried me back, and you and Blondie laughed your heads off." Jack responded dryly, earning an eye roll from Kerena.

"Y'know, _'Blondie'_ has a name, and it's Roxas." Kerena pointed out, crossing her arms.

"So? What were you two DOING anyways? You were perched almost on top of that guy, and neither of you seemed to mind!" Jack questioned, getting a devious look in her eyes, "Do you _like _him?"

"He's nice enough, I'll go that far." Kerena said slowly, Jack giving a smirk that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"Kerena and Roxas, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S--" Jack started singing in a high voice. Kerena raised her hand as if to whap Jack over the head, but was stopped due to a knock on the door.

Kerena stood up and opened the door, surprised to see no one. Her closing the door was halted as she noticed an envelope stuck to the door.

"What is it, Kerena?" Jack asked, becoming interested.

"It's a note. Wonder who it's from?" Kerena wondered aloud, walking over to the desk and opening a drawer. She pulled out a rustic looking dagger, which was, in reality, a letter opener. Slicing the envelope open, Kerena read the note out loud:

_**Hey, you two, you've got a free day! Roxas and Axel say that they're too tired to train you guys today, and no one else was free, so you're on your own!**_

_**-Demyx -^_^-**_

"_They're _too tired?! We went through more than they did!" Jack nearly screamed. "I broke my leg, and you got a gash! Roxas got a teeny-tiny cut and Axel didn't even have a SCRATCH on him! HOW CAN THEY BE TIRED?!?!"

"Remember, the male race is as much a complicated thing to us as the female race is to boys." Kerena replied, flopping down onto her own bed after placing the letter opener and the envelope back into the drawer.

* * *

"So…what were you doing, anyways?" Roxas asked Axel, who gave the younger boy an inquisitive look. Both were dressed in white t-shirts and knee-length black shorts, and the two were lounging on their beds, simply chatting.

"What do you mean?" Axel asked, shoving a pile of clothes off of his bed. It was amazing how the two were best friends, yet one was completely organized and the other a disaster.

"I know that Jack wouldn't want you carrying her. And you once supported Zexion when he sprained his ankle. Did you seriously plan to carry Jack back?"

"No, not really. Just saw an opportunity, and I took it." Axel shrugged. "She's pretty hot."

"Yeah, if you haven't noticed, she's also got a hot temper!" Roxas chuckled.

"What were YOU doing with Kerena? She was nearly sitting on top of you, and, quite frankly, it looked like you didn't mind." Axel grinned, watching Roxas turn a slight shade of pink and halt his laughter.

"She was fixing a cut I got on my face, that's all."

"Riiiiiiight. While practically sitting in your lap." Axel said sarcastically, Roxas becoming red. "Seriously, dude, I hate to say this, but I think we're falling for our apprentices!"

"Wonder what they think of us, though." Roxas mused, his embarrassment being replaced with a look of deep contemplation. Suddenly, Roxas snapped to attention and jumped up, yelling, "Oh my gosh! We have to meet them! We're late!"

Axel understood immediately and began searching for his cloak while mumbling "We're late, we're late, for a very important date!"

"Shut up, Axel! And we're TRAINING them, not dating them!"

"So?"

"Argh…I have no clue why I put up with you…"

"Because of my awesome charisma!"

"….no comment."

* * *

"Alright, now what do we do?" Jack asked in a bored voice, lounging on her bed. She was dressed in a blue metallic t-shirt and knee length matching pants.

"Um…talk? Chat? Gossip? Pull a prank on the boys while they sleep?" Kerena suggested from her bed, where she was using magic to draw pictures in the air. After she was done with one, she'd blow on it, causing her work to disappear. She herself was dressed in a black nightgown that went to her knees and that had no sleeves. Her hair was in a long braid which reached her rear.

Suddenly, the girls heard knocking on their door. The females looked at each other with bewildered expressions as the caller knocked once more. Kerena stood up and unlatched the entrance to their room, throwing the door open gracefully.

"Roxas? Axel? What are you guys doing here?" Kerena asked in bewilderment, Jack suddenly appearing at her side.

"Fetching you, duh!" Axel said casually. "We thought WE were the late ones!"

"Sorry to burst you bubble, flame guy, but you _are _late. The only reason that we're not dressed is because we got that note that said you guys were too tired to train today." Jack scoffed, crossing her arms.

"What? We never sent a note, or told anyone to tell you that we didn't want to train today." Roxas said in a slightly confused voice.

"Wait a minute while we get changed." Jack demanded, slamming the door in the boys' faces.

"Well, maybe you didn't have to be so rude about it." Kerena giggled, slipping on her coat and gloves.

"What's wrong with playing a little hard to get?" Jack grinned slyly, tugging on her boots. "You go after Roxas with your quiet, easy-like approach, and I'll go after Axel with my own tactic." Jack saw Kerena give her a goldfish impression, at which the copper head laughed. "I could tell last night, Kerena. We've been friends for years now, so it's pretty easy to tell who you like and who you don't."

"Well, guess I have to say the same for you, even though your new tactic doesn't appear to be working." Kerena chuckled in reply, taking out her braid and letting her locks frame her face in a mane of gold.

"May the best tactic win, then." Jack announced quietly, shaking hands with Kerena.

"Agreed." Kerena nodded, before opening the door.

* * *

"What's today's plan?" Jack asked with a yawn, stretching her arms behind her head in a bored manner.

"Hopefully today come out of training with less than five bruises." replied Axel with a grin. "And maybe win a match or two!"

"In your dreams!" Jack scoffed, rolling her eyes, "If you ever beat me, I think the world would end."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'm ready to try!" Axel declared, dashing over to practice hall with Jack in close pursuit.

"They both seem really eager to start training." Roxas commented, leisurely strolling through the halls. Kerena nodded and sauntered slowly beside Roxas.

"I wonder…?" Kerena mused, a thought seeming to come to her as she got a contemplative look in her aqua eyes.

"What?" Roxas inquired, gazing over at her with his own deep azure eyes.

"Nothing." Kerena said dismissively, sparking Roxas's curiosity even more. "Besides, if I even mentioned it, I'd probably get Jack angry and I'd be dead before I could say 'no, it was a mistake!'"

"What?" Roxas asked again, his tone becoming slightly desperate.

"You sound almost as bad as Axel." Kerena stated in a flat tone, but burst out laughing as Roxas gave her a shocked and bewildered look. "Okay, maybe not as bad as that. I don't know anyone who is worse than Axel when it comes to begging, and I've only known him for a week!"

"How did you get here, anyways?" Roxas questioned suddenly, earning a blank look from Kerena. "The superior said that someone would have to have strong magic to come here. What exactly are you doing here?"

Kerena blushed embarrassedly and twiddled with a lock of her hair. "Well…it was actually an accident…I didn't really do anything…" she took a deep breath before continuing, "I think Jack and I wished a little too hard to go somewhere different. We were kind of experimenting with a few spells, and something went wrong. Suddenly, we're both here and only my magic is working. For some reason, Jack's magic seems to have disappeared or something. Luckily, her fighting ability has increased slightly, so it doesn't really matter much to her right now."

"_She_ could do magic?" Roxas asked incredulously, staring at Kerena with wide eyes.

"Yes, she could. Well, _can_ do magic, she's just temporarily lost her powers. But she used to use LOTS of spells. Hers were more effective than mine, and didn't have nearly as many flaws."

"What do you mean by 'flaws?'" Roxas asked worriedly, his hand flying up to his face.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry, it doesn't affect anyone I heal. I just can't cure myself is all, so I still have to heal naturally." Kerena explained, earning a relieved sigh from Roxas.

"So your arm is still…?" he asked, earning a nod from Kerena. "Oh…are you sure you want to train today?"

"It'll take a bit more than cut to stop me from training." Kerena replied dryly, pushing open the entrance to the practice room.

* * *

"Okay, I think that's enough practice for today." panted Axel, looking at a large clock that read 6 P.M.

"Aw, but we were just having fun!" Jack joked, placing her hands on her hips. "And it's too early! I'll have nothing to do!"

"Do anything…chop down Marluxia's flowers, play a prank on anyone, just go do something that won't require me there!" Axel groaned, leaning up against one of the white walls.

"Can I beat up Roxas?" Jack asked hopefully, pointing at the suddenly pale and quivering fifteen year-old.

"No."

"Aw, man!" Jack pouted, crossing her arms.

"C'mon Jack, I'm tired. Can we go back to our room?" Kerena pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'll do anything!"

"Hmm…" Jack suddenly grinned devilishly, "Can I do your hair?"

"Uh…" Kerena trailed off, wondering what the copper haired girl had in mind, "Sure, I guess…"

"YIPPEE!!! Let's go!" Jack cried gleefully, grabbing Kerena's arm and dragging her towards their quarters.

"Just PLEASE don't turn my hair into a big knot like you did last time!" was all the boys heard before the door slammed shut.

"Aren't you glad that Kerena was right there with a diversion?" Axel smiled sarcastically, earning an eye roll from Roxas.

"And aren't you glad that Jack didn't decide to beat you up further?" Roxas shot back. It was lame, he knew, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hey, want to go see what Jack does to her?" Axel questioned, not waiting for a reply as he strode over to the door. "I can't wait to see Jack's creativity!"

Both boys chuckled as they left the room and scampered quickly over to the girls' room.

* * *

"Ow! Stop pulling so hard!" Kerena cried out as Jack grasped her hair tightly and tried to pull it into a ponytail.

"Hold still!" Jack commanded with a giggle, tying off the tight ponytail with a large black scrunchie. "You'll love it when I'm done!"

"If there's any hair left for me to admire…" Kerena muttered, grimacing slightly as Jack forcefully tugged the hairpiece out.

"No, I think a style _down_ would be better…" Jack mused. Kerena sighed inwardly. This was going to be a _long _night.

* * *

"Oh my god, what is she doing?!" Axel snickered quietly as he watched Jack twirl a large section of Kerena's hair and place it up on the blonde's head before reaching for a hair tool.

"I don't know, and I'm not really sure I want to find out." Roxas whispered back, peering through the keyhole and into the girls' room.

"All right…Just a few more minutes, okay?" Jack grinned.

"Just make sure that I still have some hair left and that it doesn't take all day for me to comb out itsy bitsy knots!" Kerena grumbled.

"Let me see!" Axel hissed, shoving Roxas out of the way. Roxas tumbled to the floor, but quickly got up and started a shoving match with Axel.

"Well, what do you know? All done!" Jack announced, the males freezing as they heard footsteps relatively close to the door.

"Jack, you did great!" Kerena squealed in delight, and the boys heard her dash across the room.

"Told you!" Jack laughed.

Axel's nose started twitching, but before either boy could make a move, the redhead's sneeze disturbed the relative quietness in the hall.

"What the-?! You two?!" Jack cried out, throwing open the door. She was greeted with the boys tangled together, proof of their earlier struggle. Roxas had his hand shoved into Axel's face and his other arm blocking Axel's outstretched hand. Axel's other hand was trying to reach over and tug Roxas's hair, but was stopped a few inches away from the blonde's head.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were tired!" Kerena exclaimed, stepping into view. Her locks were straight now, and seemed lighter than ever, thanks to her hair being longer and flatter than before.

"Nice hairstyle?" Roxas grinned sheepishly, earning a slight blush from the girl and a smirk from Jack.

"See? Told you that I can style hair!" Jack announced in triumph. "And it worked out better than last time!"

"Before we get off of the subject, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" Kerena frowned, giving the boys a heated glare.

"Um…seeing Jack's creativity?" Axel shrugged, earning an eye roll from the two females.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, right. Hey, Kerena, is your magic still working?" Jack asked with a devilish grin. Kerena nodded, and Jack whispered something into her ear.

"Well, not sure how it's going to look, but I can do that." Kerena stated, looking at the boys and snapping her fingers.

"What did you just do?" The boys asked in unison. They were now untangled and standing at full attention. Both girls were staring at the males' hair, and suddenly fell into hysterics.

"What?!" Axel asked worriedly, running a hand through his spikes. In reply, Kerena dashed over to her bed and picked up a large pink mirror which she held up in front of the boys. What they saw shocked them. Their hair colors had switched!

"OMG! WHAT THE-?!" Axel cried out, covering his head with his arms.

"I think that'll teach you!" Jack laughed as Kerena snapped her fingers again. The boys' hair went back to normal, and the males quickly scampered down the hall to their room, wanting to dodge any other spells that the two might cast.

* * *

"All right, now we need to get them back!" Axel hissed angrily, sitting on his bed with his arms crossed and his back hunched.

"Why? No one saw us, so we weren't made fun of or anything." Roxas reminded the redhead.

"So? Anyone who laughs at me is going to be pranked!" Axel declared, beginning to pace. He immediately tripped, however, over a pile of clothes that had been left in front of his bed.

"As long as neither one decides to get revenge or we get killed by those two, I really could care less what you have in mind." Roxas sighed, leaning back on his hands, "What _do _you have in mind?"

"Um…I'm not really sure…" Axel admitted, "But I know that I _REALLY _want to scare them!"

"I thought you played pranks?" Roxas questioned, earning a shrug from Axel.

"I go with the flow. Now, what are those two scared of?"

Roxas opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off due to a scream and running footsteps.

"OH MY GOD!!!!" Kerena shrieked as she scurried down the hall. She looked like a streak of gold and black as she dashed past the boys' open door.

"Kerena! Sheesh, it's REALLY small, and it's not poisonous!" Jack called after her friend, stopping in front of the boys room and holding a glass which was turned upside-down.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked as he stood at the door, Axel following his lead.

"This itsy bitsy BUG is the problem." Jack sighed, holding up the glass to allow the boys to see its contents. A small black spider about the size of a quarter with white spots darted around under the glass. "Kerena has a fear of these things. I don't know why, but she does." Jack snickered quietly, "If I even say the word 'tarantula', she goes really pale."

Axel shot a satisfied glance at Roas, who merely shrugged.

"Anyway, I need to get this guy outside. Mind telling Kerena that the 'creepy crawly' is gone?" Jack laughed, walking to her room.

"Okay, that was easy!" Axel grinned, rubbing his hands together, "Now, what is Jack scared of?"

"I REALLY hope you know what you're doing Axel, because you're not having my help in this!" Roxas declared, turning around to go back to lounging on his bed.

"Why?" Axel pouted, crossing his arms.

"I don't really want to die when this prank is pulled, so I suggest you just drop the matter. You've already seen Jack angry, what do you think she's like when she's MAD?" Roxas pointed out.

"I don't care! This is also revenge for beating me repeatedly!" Axel declared, sitting on his bed.

"D-do you know if that…THING is gone yet?" Kerena asked, suddenly sticking her head into the room.

"Yeah, Jack said that she took care of it." Roxas assured her, while Kerena sighed in relief.

"Good…I swear, if she ever starts terrorizing me with one of those things again, I'm making her listen to that CD!" Kerena muttered, beginning to walk away.

"What CD?" Axel questioned eagerly.

"Oh, it's the only thing that Jack hates. Besides you, Axel." Kerena giggled, sauntering down the corridor.

"Great, thanks a lot," Axel muttered, "Anyway! We have things to plan! Right, Roxas?" Axel asked, looking over at his friend. "Roxas? Are you OK?"

Roxas had been staring as if in a trance at where Kerena was standing earlier. With his hand supporting his chin and his eyes slightly misty, it looked as if he were daydreaming.

"EARTH TO ROXAS! COME IN ROXAS!" Axel shouted into the blonde's ear, causing the younger boy to fall to the floor with alarm.

"W-what was that for?!" Roxas stammered, still slightly in shock.

"To snap you out of a dream, you idiot! What were you thinking of anyways? How to tell that girl that you like her?" Axel teased, turning number thirteen pink with embarrassment. "And the proof is sitting right in front of me!"

"Stop shouting, or she'll hear you!" Roxas hissed nervously, scrambling up onto his bed.

Kerena and Jack were now standing at the door, poking their heads inside. "Is everything all right in here? We thought we heard something fall over." Kerena questioned, looking over at the boys.

"Oh, something just probably suffocated under all that mess." Jack said dismissively, pointing at a pile of trash and clothes.

"Oh, how very eloquent that sounded." Kerena drawled sarcastically.

"Don't be jealous of my genius."

"Genius of what, being weird?"

"Says the girl afraid of spiders."

"Says the girl afraid of the Jonas Brothers!"

"I told you before Kerena, you must fear them because they are EVIL!!!"

As the girls threw petty insults at one another, the boys shared the they're-really-crazy-and-should-we-leave-them look. The boys decided to stop the fight, and that took nearly half an hour.

Finally the girls left, and the boys slumped onto their beds.

"Do they ever seriously fight?" Axel wondered aloud. "They tease each other, but it has never gone into a competition with them."

"I don't know, and right now I could care less. I'm too *yawn* tired to care…" Roxas mumbled, laying down and pulling his comforter over his head.

* * *

The next day, Axel and Roxas were sitting and talking in their room when Demyx barged in with a large box in his arms.

"Hey, hey, guess what, GUESS WHAT?!" the hyper musician shouted into Axel's ear.

"I'm deaf now?" Axel grumbled, hitting his ear to try and stop the ringing in it.

Demyx rolled his eyes impatiently and said "Noooo, something even BETTER! Take a look!" and he shoved a stuffed figure into Axel's face.

"OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Axel cried as he jumped up and edged away from the red haired chibi that Demyx held out to him.

"It's YOU, Axel! See, it even has your chakrams!" Demyx rambled on happily, shoving the stuffed chibi into Axel's hands. "And here's yours, Roxas!" He handed the boy a different chibi, which looked like it had anger issues. Both plushies did resemble the boys, as they had the same eyes and hairstyle as the males.

"This is supposed to be me?" Roxas asked, holding his chibi up in the air while Demyx nodded enthusiastically.

"This thing isn't even HALF as handsome as me!" Axel frowned, holding the plushie at arms length and inspecting it. "At least it has my triangles…"

"Yeah, don't they look great?! I sent them to your apprentices as well! Oh yeah, I also found chibis of them!" Demyx bubbled, digging into the box and withdrawing two other plushies, which did indeed look like Kerena and Jack.

"Why do their plushies look better than ours?!" Axel pouted, picking up the Jack chibi which looked back at him with confident and inquisitive green eyes.

"Maybe because our apprentices are girls?" Roxas suggested, picking up the Kerena plushie and looking it over. All four chibis were dressed in organization apparel, but Axel's was the only one that had weapons, and Kerena's was the only one that had accessories.

"I don't know, but I need to finish delivering these! Bye!" Demyx called over his shoulder as he scooped up the Roxas and Axel chibis and threw them into the box. He left the room a few moments later, leaving the girl plushies behind.

"It's…remarkably similar to them." Roxas admitted, placing both of the stuffed girls on their shared dresser.

"We're never going to let anyone know we have these, right?" Axel demanded, earning a vigorous nod from Roxas.

* * *

Kerena and Jack were chatting in their room when Demyx knocked on their door.

"Hey, I found these! You can have them! Bye!" Demyx shouted quickly, handing a shocked Kerena a bag and dashing out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"What is it?" Jack inquired, craning her neck to get a better view.

"Here. Take a look." Kerena stated, tossing the Axel chibi over to Jack and carefully taking the Roxas plushie out.

"Yes! A voodoo doll of Axel!" Jack cried with glee, pulling a safety pin out of her pocket and getting ready to poke the chibi in the arm. "It's just what I need!"

"No, you idiot! They're stuffed figures!" Kerena snapped, tugging the pin out of her friend's hand.

"Aww…" Jack sighed in disappointment. She then looked it over, pulling a few strands of the chibi's hair out of its face. "Actually, it looks a LOT like Axel…"

"This one looks like Roxas. It looks kind of cute, in a way." Kerena mused, setting the chibi gently on her bed. She suddenly began staring at the chibi in a strange manner. "I could have sworn that this thing just smiled at me…"

"Really? Yours too?" Jack questioned in disbelief, holding the Axel plushie with one arm.

"Guess you like your chibi, huh? Or maybe you just really like the boy that it looks like, hmm?" Kerena giggled, positioning her Roxas plushie on her pillow.

"I can tell that you like yours too, y'know." Jack stated. Kerena glanced at her friend for a second before picking up the Roxas figure and hugging it tightly.

"Like it? I LOVE it! It's too cute!!" Kerena squealed, somehow hugging the stuffed boy tighter. Jack rolled her eyes.

"We're hiding these whenever anyone comes in here, right?" Jack inquired, shoving the Axel chibi under her bed.

"Yeah. I would be MORTIFIED if anyone found these. I wonder who made them, anyways?" Kerena thought aloud, checking her plushie for a tag. She found her answer when she saw the words "MADE BY DEMYX" sewn onto the underside of the plushie's organization jacket. "Well, that's obvious."

"Why did he give them to us, anyways?" Jack wondered aloud, "Maybe it's because they are our mentors."

"I don't know." Kerena shrugged, heading for the door, "But we need to meet the guys for some training. Maybe they'll teach us something new today."

"If it has anything to do with fighting, there's nothing that they can teach us." Jack declared firmly, Kerena nodding in agreement as they walked to the boys' room.

* * *

"So, are we going to do anything today, or are we just winging it?" Jack yawned, nearly falling asleep.

"I don't know. Those two just keep arguing over that sheet of paper, and it's really ticking me off!" Kerena frowned, tugging gently on a large lock of her hair.

"Just let them decide!" Axel cried out, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Hey, I'm not the one who keeps changing his mind every ten seconds!" Roxas snapped, rolling up the sheet of paper and trudging over to the girls.

"Decide on WHAT?" Jack asked, stretching her arms behind her head.

"A world to go to. We need to gather information about one of the worlds on this list." Roxas explained, showing the paper to the girls. Pictures were drawn on it, and the name of the place was written in black block letters under its picture.

"Ooh, THAT world looks AWSOME!" Jack exclaimed, pointing to the picture of a black and rickety old pirate ship.

"If not a little creepy. 'Port Royal?' Sounds interesting." Kerena commented, looking over her friend's shoulder at her choice.

"Well, that's taken care of. On to…what's that place's name again?" Axel asked, grinning sheepishly.

Kerena and Jack smacked their heads and answered in unison, "Port Royal, you idiot."

"Whoa…creepy…" Axel commented, creating a dark corridor and walking through it. The others followed suit, not wanting to be left behind.

* * *

"All right. We're here!" Axel announced, gesturing around with his hands. "Knock yourselves out."

"Axel, _we're _supposed to be gathering data too." Roxas reminded the pyrotechnic, causing the older male to put on a pout.

"Do you happen to know if pirates are in this world?" Kerena suddenly asked, having wandered over to a sign posted above objects covered with a white tarp.

"Why do you ask?" Roxas questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"This sign says 'a gift for the pirates' and the one over there says 'in case of pirate attack.' You do know what these are, right?" Kerena asked, pointing to the concealed things. "They're cannons."

"So…?" Jack shrugged, "Mind telling us what that means?"

"I know! I KNOW!" Axel cried gleefully, waving his hand in the air as if he was being asked a question in school, "It means that a bunch of lunatics who are scared of pirates live here!"

Jack sucker-punched Axel in the stomach before he could say more.

"That…_definitely hurt…_" Axel gasped, clutching his gut. Jack merely snickered.

"It means that-" Kerena began. She was cut off due to a woman screaming, not in fear, but in aggravation.

The group ducked behind the cannons just in time to see a woman with bedraggled white blond hair come stomping up the stone steps, occasionally stepping on her flowered yellow dress which appeared to be from the 1800's. A man with brown hair in a shoulder-length ponytail hurried behind her, his booted feet tripping over upraised stones.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, come back!" He called out to her.

"Will, don't go! You have NO idea what's out there! The seas are rough, and there's always those pirates…!" She turned and gazed at him with sad eyes.

"Elizabeth, don't worry. I'll always come back for you." Will promised, holding her tightly. Elizabeth allowed a tear to fall from her eye, but she quickly brushed it away and nodded as Will led her back down the steps.

"That was close…" Jack muttered, shooting a breath at her bang which caused it to flutter in the air and fall down again quickly, once again covering her eye.

"I agree. Haven't you guys ever considered going into _disguise _instead of hiding every time you hear a noise?" Kerena questioned, sighing as the boys shook their heads no. "All right, then. How about you tell me your favorite colors?"

The boys blinked in surprise. "Colors…?" Roxas wondered aloud.

"Yes, colors. Any preferences, or do you just want my imagination to run wild?" Kerena asked with a small smile.

"Can you do mine first before you go completely bonkers with their outfits?" Jack requested as she laughed. Kerena grinned and nodded. "Don't forget, green." Jack reminded her friend, earning another nod.

"Hmm…considering the time frame…seems common for girls to wear dresses…slightly colonial, always proper…unless you're a pirate, which would probably NOT be the best choice for a disguise right now…aha! Got it!" Kerena cried out, pointing her finger at Jack and shooting a small blue spark at the girl. Jack's outfit shimmered for a moment, the glow so bright it caused the boys to look away. When they turned, they were astonished.

Jack now was wearing an ankle-length, emerald dress with a v-neck and light green lace at the sleeves, which reached her elbows at best. A thin, green ribbon was tied around her neck in a bow, causing her to look elegant but in a casual manner.

"Okay, who's next?" Kerena asked, blowing a small trail of smoke from her pointer finger and grinning at the boys.

"Not it!" both boys cried out in unison, giving each other glares. Jack shoved Roxas forward, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

"All right…this won't be hard, I don't think." Kerena mused, pointing her finger at the blonde and letting it emit a white spark this time.

After the light show, Roxas was then dressed in black pants and black boots which reached his knees. He wore a crisp white shirt that had sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a black vest was on top of that. A red sash was tied around his waist.

"Nice duds, Roxas!" Axel snickered, causing Roxas to stick his tongue out at him.

"Yeah, but now it's YOUR turn, Axel!" Kerena grinned, making Axel and Roxas switch emotions.

"Anything but pink, anything but pink, anything but pink…" Axel kept mumbling to himself, crossing his fingers and shutting his eyes tightly.

"Hmm…This could be tricky…" Kerena mused, shooting a red spark at the male.

Axel was then dressed in a ridiculous pirate outfit, complete with a hook, lace at his collar, and a stuffed parrot on his shoulder. He looked like Captain Hook.

"Hmm…nope…Hey, you two! Help me a bit!" Kerena said, motioning the other two over. They huddled up together in a circle while Axel fidgeted and poked his parrot friend.

"That sounds good!" Jack suddenly stated, breaking the circle. Roxas nodded in agreement as Kerena shot a purple spark at the redhead.

Axel was now clothed in a blue button-down shirt, a brown vest, black pants, and brown boots which reached his knees and had silver buckles on them.

"Not too bad I guess…" Axel shrugged, stepping back slightly as Kerena gave him a look that could kill him. "I mean it's great!" He said quickly, Kerena turning pleasant once again after the pyrotechnic made amends.

"My turn, I guess." Kerena stated, shooting a blue spark at herself. Her attire instantly morphed into an ankle-length aqua dress with dark blue lace at the sleeves and a white bow on the front. A blue teardrop-shaped stone hung from her neck on an aqua ribbon. "All right, we're all set. Let's go!"

Their actions were halted due to the sound of footsteps coming up the stone steps. A man with black, beaded dreadlocks, a red bandanna tied around his head, mischievous hazel eyes, and a short black beard walked towards them, seeming to have not a care in the world.

"Ello, mates. I mean, lads. And lasses of course." he grinned, his voice tipping the group off that he was in his mid-twenties. "What are you doin' round 'ere?"

"Pardon?" Kerena stated in a reserved voice, making sure to sound proper.

"Not exactly the place most of the townsfolk come to. Savvy?" he questioned, earning blank looks from the foursome. "Means 'understand,' mates."

"W-we're new here, is all." Jack spoke up.

"Ah, well then, guess I better introduce meself, eh? Captain Jack Sparrow, at you service." he bowed low, yet in a sarcastic manner. "Former captain anyway."

"Why 'former', if you don't mind my asking, sir?" Kerena asked.

"Well, my ship was taken over, lass. Sorry to say that without it, I'm a penniless man. There goes my dreams of finding treasure. That scurvy dog Barbossa…and to think he went after _that _treasure, too…" Jack Sparrow trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

"What treasure?" Axel asked eagerly, a greedy glint growing in his eyes.

"Not a treasure you'd be wanting, mate. That gold is cursed. No smart man would go after it."

"Cursed?" Roxas asked in disbelief.

"Ay. 'Curse of the Aztec gold,' is what it's been nicknamed. Supposedly anyone who touches it goes to halfway point between bein' dead and alive. You can't die, but you aren't alive. Not exactly how a man wants to live, eh?" Jack Sparrow asked with a halfhearted grin. "O'course, Barbossa isn't exactly the smartest man, so shouldn't surprise me he'd go after that bloomin' cursed treasure. Mates, can I have a word before I take me leave?" Jack Sparrow questioned Axel and Roxas, earning apprehensive nods in reply. Pulling the boys aside, he asked them, "Lads, where'd you find lasses like that?"

"Meaning?" Axel inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Just givin' a word of advice, mate. I meself came across many a fine girl and threw 'er away for gold. Probably still would, but don't you lads go doin' that. I can tell that you're sweet on 'em, and wouldn't be surprised to find that they are the same 'bout you two."

Roxas glanced over at the girls for a quick second before nodding in unison with Axel.

"Good that's cleared up lads. Take me advice, and don't go forgettin' it. Savvy? Good. See ya, mates." Jack Sparrow sauntered off, leaving the group astonished by how quickly they had tons of information.

"Is that enough info on this world?" Jack asked.

"Should be. Mind changing back our outfits for now?" Axel asked. Kerena nodded and snapped her fingers. In a moment, all of them were back in their organization attire.

"That was sure weird…" mumbled Roxas.

"What did ol' Captain Jack Sparrow say to you guys, anyways?" Kerena asked, staring in astonishment as both boys blushed and ran through a portal of darkness.

"Wow. I'm not sure, but Jack Sparrow probably told them something that made them embarrassed." Jack stated.

"Yeah, I kind of figured, Ms. Obvious." Kerena replied sarcastically with an eye roll. Kerena was chased in the portal by Jack, who was trying to playfully whap Kerena over the head.

* * *

"Yawn...Hey, what's today, Kerena?" Jack asked, sitting up in her bed and stretching.

"According to the calendar on this computer, it's supposedly the thirty-first of October today." Kerena replied, typing rapidly on the small laptop.

"It's HALLOWEEN?! YIPPEE!!!" Jack cried, jumping up from her bed. Halloween was Jack's favorite holiday. (Jack: You get to dress up AND get candy!!!)

"Oh, no you don't Jack! Who knows what's allowed here for holidays and what's not!" Kerena exclaimed, dashing in front of the door to block her friend. "You stay here!"

"No! I want to go out and find a costume!"

"You can't do that if you're locked in!" Kerena shouted, stepping out of the room and casting a spell on the door.

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW, KERENA!" Jack screamed, banging on the door with her fists.

"Um...I'm going to have to say no. I'll ask around, and if we can wear costumes, I'll even make you your costume, 'kay?"

"WOO! FREE COSTUME!"

"*Sigh*...Hmm...who would know about this kind of stuff?...Axel." Kerena decided, walking towards the boys' room. She knocked loudly on their door, but was only greeted with mumbles. "Open up you two! I've got an emergency here!"

Axel immediately flung open the door with a wild look in his eye. "What?! What happened?! Did Marluxia get a hold of Jack for destroying his flowers?! Did Demyx force you two to listen to him playing his sitar?! What?! WHAT?!"

"Do you celebrate holidays around here?" Kerena asked innocently, staring up at an open-mouthed Axel.

"You said you had an emergency!"

"I do! I have Jack trying to break our door down so she can celebrate Halloween! Now, answer my question already!"

"*mumble* What's going on? Why all the yelling?" Roxas questioned, stepping into view and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"On Halloween the Organization dresses in costumes for the day, to replace our normal outfits. Then, after everyone has finished their jobs, we have a big dance in the common room." Axel grumbled, shuffling away from the door.

"A dance? In a place like this?" Kerena asked in disbelief.

"It's a castle, isn't it? Shoo, and leave us alone to get changed already!" Axel groaned, slamming the door in the blonde's face.

"I'm soooooo going to kill him..." Kerena mumbled, walking back to her room. Upon opening the door, she was pounced on by Jack. "Good news. We can dress up in costumes for the day."

Jack immediately stood and did a happy little dance while Kerena picked herself up and dusted off her cloak.

"So, what are we going to be this year?" Jack questioned. "I want our costumes to be related in some way."

"Um...good girl, bad girl?"

"Elaborate a bit more on that idea, but otherwise, nice choice!"

"Devil and angel cats?"

"Sounds good! Can you make with the magic?"

"Don't rush me! Hmm...Yep, I've got an idea for both costumes. Hold still." Kerena requested, shooting a red spark at her friend.

Jack was instantly clothed in a short sleeved, red velvet shirt with black lace at the hemline and the ends of the sleeves. Black pants with a fiery flame design from the hips down to the legs clung to her thin frame, and heeled black boots were on her feet. A red ruby dangled on a black chain, glittering in the lights of the room with a blood red hue.

"And...can't forget about the finishing touches..." Kerena mumbled, shooting another spark. Black and pink cat ears suddenly appeared on Jack's head, and the right one was pierced with two small silver hoops. A sleek black tail was now right below her spine, completing her feline appearance. "They're both real, so be careful." Kerena commented, watching as Jack experimentally twitched her added appendages.

"How are you going to look like a good kitty?" Jack questioned, watching as Kerena winked and shot a white spark at herself.

Kerena was instantly dressed in a white, off-shoulder top with a white miniskirt and matching jeans. She also wore white boots which were similar in design to Jack's footwear. White and pink cat ears were perched on her head, and a fluffy white cat tail swished slowly behind her. A white ribbon was tied around her neck in a large bow, giving her a cute appearance.

"Jack, come here. There's one other thing you need to add to you outfit." Kerena mused with a smile. Jack nervously walked over and allowed Kerena to remove her ponytail, letting her copper locks fall and frame her face, ending just below her shoulders. Kerena fluffed Jack's hair slightly, then grinned in satisfaction. "There! You should really wear your hair down more."

"Not on your life!" Jack chuckled, opening the door and walking over to the boys' room with Kerena in tow.

"I wonder what Axel and Roxas are going to be wearing for their costumes?" Jack thought aloud, Kerena nodding in agreement.

Suddenly, A cry of "NO WAY!" echoed from the males' room, and, in curiosity, the girls pressed their keen ears against the door.

"C'mon, Roxas! It's Halloween!"

"No way am I ever wearing that!" Roxas still protested.

"Fine. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to! I, on the other hand, will look AWSOME, as always."

"It's certainly...different, Axel."

"You bet it is! Hey, how do you think the girls' will dress up today?"

Jack and Kerena tried hard to withhold giggles as they knocked on the door in unison. Roxas opened the door, dressed in his costume.

The girls supposed he was a vampire, with his now pointy canines showing as he gaped in surprise. He wore a white and black costume with black bat wings attatched. He also added dark eye make-up around his eyes, giving him a slightly more ghastly appearance.

(it's supposed to be Sora's Halloween outfit, the colors just switched. Anything that is black on Sora's is white on Roxas's, and vice versa. minus pumpkin mask. I hate that thing _ )

"Hey, Axel, your answer just arrived." Roxas called, swiveling his head to yell back at the pyromaniac.

"Oh, they're here already?" Axel said in surprise, stepping into view.

He was dressed like a cross between the joker from Batman and Leon. He wore black leather pants and a stomach length, matching, buttoned up black coat with long, billowing coattails that had tattered ends. He wore a type of red shirt with a collar underneath, and a grey scarf with a square swirl design clasped it tight like a noose around his neck. Two belts attached the pants and jacket, overlapping each other. A few gold buttons ran up the sides of his pants, and a few more buckles were strewn around the end of his jacket. Altogether, he looked like a cross between a gentleman from the 1600's and a rebel/goth.

(LOL, I'm trying 2 describe that pic. of Axel I sent you. I can't describe such fancy things T_T -------sad face)

"Interesting..." Kerena mumbled with wide eyes.

"What are you wearing?!" Jack asked in disbelief, looking Axel up and down over and over, her right ear repeatedly twitching.

"My costume! Wait, it's not quite complete..." Axel quickly exclaimed, dashing back into the room and reappearing seconds later while wearing a black tophat with a red band of velvet wrapped around it. "What do you think?"

"Jack, calm down." Kerena warned, seeing Jack begin to twitch both ears. "It's...interesting Axel. What are we doing today?"

"The Superior hasn't given us a mission, so Axel said he though of something for us to do today." Roxas answered, looking over at the redhead, who was busy fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket. "What _did_ you have in mind Axel?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Axel grinned, shoving a black cloth bag into each of the three's hands. "Trick or Treating!"

"At this hour?" Kerena asked in astonishment.

"Yep! Let's go! I found this cool world a while back!" Axel quickly made a portal and ran through it, leaving the others to sigh in exasperation and follow the energetic pyrotechnic.

* * *

"Here we are!" Axel announced, gesturing wildly at their surroundings. A few pumpkins were scattered about, and the whole place was cloaked in a light fog, adding a slightly eerie feeling. Black lanterns hung from poles, lighting the way to what seemed to be a town square.

"What's this place called?" Jack asked.

"Halloween Town."

"Oh, how original." Jack drawled as they walked towards the town square. A large, dead dragon fountain sat in the center of the square, green water- or some other substance- falling from its open mouth. A guillotine rested a little ways away, chopping air at random intervals. Tons of houses decorated for the night of frights lined the streets, and more could be seen peeking out from behind the curling rooftops of their neighbors.

"LADIES AND GENTLEGHOSTS, BOYS AND GHOULS, PLEASE GATHER AT THE CITY SQUARE TO SEE THE OPENING ACT OF JACK SKELLINGTON, THE PUMPKIN KING! ONE SHOW, NO ENCORES! I REPEAT, NO ENCORES!" shouted a short man with a megaphone. His eyes were mismatched and crazy, his mouth was set in a permanent grin, and his hat was half of Axel's height.

"Ooh, let's go see!" Jack cried, pulling a less enthusiatic Kerena over to the edge of the stage like structure where many costumed people were now standing.

"Wonder who Jack Skellington is?" Roxas thought aloud, earning a shrug from Axel in reply.

The small man had begun screaming into the megaphone again. "WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME, CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF HALLOWEEN TOWN! I, THE MAYOR, PERSONALLY SEND GREETINGS AND WISH YOU A HAPPY HALLOWEEN! NOW, INTRODUCING, OUR VERY OWN PUMPKIN KING, THE KNIGHT OF FRIGHTS, THE MASTER OF TERROR, JACK SKELLLLLIINGTOOOOONNN!"

Cheers roared from the crowd as Roxas and Axel took their places behind the girls and watched the stage. In the next few minutes, many horrifying creatures came popping out and began doing tricks, and, just when everyone thought that the show couldn't become any creepier, a thin skeleton wearing a black tuxedo with white pinstripes appeared after a few explosions. He bowed, and the curtain closed as everyone gave him a standing ovation.

"He was cool!" Jack exclaimed with a big grin. "What did you think, Kerena? Kerena?"

The girl looked pale and about ready to faint. "V-very s-scary...." Jack laughed heartily and slapped Kerena on the back, causing the girl to nearly fall over.

"C'MON already! I want candy!" Axel groaned, halfway towards a tall house. Everyone giggled at the redhead's antics, even Kerena. Soon, after visiting only about thirty houses, their bags were full to the brim.

"Wow! We never brought in this much candy when we visited the whole neighborhood back home!" Jack exclaimed, looking through her bag of goodies. The good thing about this world was that they knew EXACTLY what candy to give. None of those little sourballs of candy that harden after one night, oh no. The four's bags were filled with chocolate, gum, and all the other types of candy that one looked forward to at select houses. Hershey's, Reese's, Snickers...it was all there.

"A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD and you never got this much candy?" Roxas asked in disbelief, earning nods from the girls.

"Of course, Jack usually had to share with John. Am I right Jack?" Kerena giggled, nudging her friend.

"I never SHARED with that little brat! He always STOLE my candy!" Jack pouted, her left ear twitching like mad and her tail swishing back and forth angrily.

"Who's John?" Axel asked, sounding curious and jealous at the same time.

"Her brother." Kerena answered with a grin. Axel and Roxas looked at Jack with surprise.

"Yeah, you heard her right. I've got a little monster named John for a brother." Jack fumed. "But he can't bother me here!" she concluded with a happy grin. "I'm HOME FREE!"

Kerena giggled again. "You never liked your brother, did you?"

"NOPE!"

"He wasn't THAT bad, Jack..." Jack gave Kerena a look. "Oh, alright, I have to admit that he WAS quite a handful..."

Jack gave Kerena a smug grin and swished her tail.

"Do you guys have any siblings?" Kerena suddenly asked the boys, earning shakes of their head in reply. "You're lucky..."

"What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Roxas asked, blushing faintly at being so straightforward.

"Two sisters." Kerena replied. "They're both older than I am. The one who's closest to my age is 28." Both boys stared at her. "What?"

"Never mind. Hey, everyone at the castle should be done with missions and stuff by now! Let's go PARTY!" Axel cried with glee, running through a newly made portal.

"Oh no..." Roxas groaned, hitting himself in the forehead. "Why do I have a feeling that this night may go incredibly wrong?"

"Because whenever Axel gets hyper, he does crazy things." Jack laughed, walking through the portal with Kerena in tow.


	2. notes about current story

Before i continue with the story, I must correct some things:

First of all, this story was never EVER meant to be published...I just felt guilty that I hadn't put anything out in a while, so I posted this.

Second, the only reason Jack doesn't have a more acting role is due to the fact that she was never supposed to BE in the story. *flashback*

(Jack's creator will be known as 'Jessie')

Jessie: ooh, I've FINALLY played KH2!!!

Me: And??? :)

Jessie: I LOVE it~! Axel is sooo cool! Write a story w/me and him in it!!!

Me: *sweadrop* uh...

Jessie: *glare*

Me: O.K., please don't kill me...!

Jessie: kays~!

*end flashback*

so that's why Jack is in the story. Plus, the sequal which is IN THE WORKS was my original idea for Kerena's appearance. She originally wasn't supposed to appear until just before Roxas is all like 'my summer vacation is...over.' In a way, it was supposed to be this weird thing of friendship/love first sight originally. I like my new idea better, though (FYI, build a relationship between the two and build up love GRADUALLY).

so, THAT is basically my big apology. Sorry if Jack has become one of your fave characters and yet you're upset she doesn't have a bigger role. If i have enough encouragement, I MIGHT write an Axel+Jack oneshot. MAYBE.

that's it~! please enjoy the current chapter/s~~!


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